Derailing mechanism for railroad-crossings



(N0 Model.)

M. B. MILLS. DBRAILING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD GROSSINGS. No. 408,840. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

N. mamas. PhntoLithngn-mher, Wmhingmn, n: c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORTIMER B. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DERAILING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,840, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed February 19, 1889. Serial No. 300,431. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORTIMER l3. MILLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Derailing Mechanism for Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvenunt in the class of devices employed on railroads to signal a train approaching a crossing of the condition of the latter and to derail the train in case of mistake in the signal or failure to heed it.

The object of my improvement is to provide a simply-constructed and reliably-operatin g mechanism for guarding a railway-crossing against the passage over it of a train not having the right of way, and to provide a barrier which cannot be turned to its position indicating danger whilea train is passing over the track provided with it.

To this end my invention consists in the general construction of my improved mechanism, and it also consists in details of the construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my improvement by showing in a diagrammatic plan view the mechanism constituting it at a railroad-crossing.

A denotes a railroad-crossing, which, while it may comprise any number of tracks crossing each other, is, for the sake of simplicity in illustration, represented as comprising but two tracks B and O, crossing each other at right angles.

At a desired or prescribed distance from the crossing one rail of each track at each side of the crossing is cut out, or a space 7' is otherwise provided in it, and a section of rail D, affording the derailing medium,is inserted into such space, being pivoted, as shown at 00, at its end nearest the crossing and free to be moved toward its opposite endin an inward direction with referenc'e to the track, and movement of a pivotal derailing-rail D in the opposite direction outside the track is prevented by the provision of a suitable stop q.

To the outer side, near the free end of each derailing-section D, is connected one end of a link p, the opposite end of which is pivoted, as shown at cc, to a crank 0, near the longitudinal center of the latter, which crank extends horizontally from the lower end of a vertical post or spindle E, revoluble on its own axis, being supported in any suitable and well-known manner, as bybeing inserted into a socket in a tie.

An arm F, which may have attached to it near its center a lamp or other form of signal F, is secured rigidly to each spindle E for example, above the plane of the track, to be readily visible from a distance, and should be sufficiently long to extend from its spindle across the track. Each crank 0 is slotted longitudinally toward its free end, as shown at and is engaged in the slot by the end of a rod a, adapted to be reciprocated lengthwise and connected at its opposite end with means for actuating it.

The adjusting means may comprise any mechanism suitable for the purpose-such as asystem of levers, as now commonly used for actuating from a single pointa number of railroad-switches; or air-pressure mechanism-- such as that illustrated and hereinafter described-quay be employed.

lVhatever the actuating means, however,

the operation of the derailing apparatus is as follows: The arrangement and connections are such as to cause all the arms F near the crossing to extend normally across the track, as the arms for the track 0 are shown to extend in the drawing, and the pivotal rail-sections D, connected with the arms, to be extended into theirderailing positions. If the right of way is to be awarded to a train approachin g the crossing on the track O, a train approaching on the track B must be signaled of that fact, as it will be by the respective arms F extending normally across the track,

and in case the signal shall not be heeded the lattertrain, toavoid more serious result of the failure to be governed by the signal, will be derailed. To produce the condition of the crossing to this end, the rods 01, connected with the apparatus of the track 0, are drawn backward, thereby bringing the derailing-see tions D coincident with the track, and through the crank-connections of the arms F with the derailingsections swinging the horizontal arms by the turning of the posts or spindles E lengthwise of the track 0, outside the latter, whereby the arms cannot, as in case of mistake on the part of the operator,be turned back to extend across the track before the entire train has passed, since they would be obstructed by striking against a side of the train. \Vhile the derailing and signaling ap paratus for the track 0 is thus arranged to withdraw the arms and signals thereon from their positions of warning to an approaching; train, the rods 11, connected with the apparatus of the track B, remain in their normal position or unaffected. Vhen the train thus having the right of way has passed over the crossing, the track over which it has passed should be adjusted to its danger condition.

If pneumatic pressure be used, as it may be, to actuate the apparatus thus described, I prefer to employ that represented in the drawing, and which comprises an air-tight case G, adjacent to each pivotal rail-section D, and containing a flexible diaphragm, (not shown, but of the same construction as the diaphragm device illustrated and described in various Letters Patent of the United States granted me for improvements in pneumatic railroad-gates-as, for example, in Letters Patent No. 387,435 granted me on the 7th day of August, 1888,) dividing the case into two compartments, that nearest the track having an opening in, through which the rear end of the rod 01 is connected with the diaphragm at its center. A pneumatic pump II, which should be located in an operating-house, is connected with each case G through a T-pipe I, having ordinary three-way valves 7c and respectively, in opposite ends of its head I.

The diaphragm-cases G for the track B communicate from the opposite sides of the diaphragm in each with the valve 70, respectively, through a pipe h and branch 7t, and through a pipe g and branch g, and the diaphragm-cases G for the track 0 communicate from the opposite sides of the diaphragm in each with the valve 7,7 respectively, through apipefand branch f, and through apipe e and branch 6. Thus by setting the valves 7c and 7.3, respectively, in the positions indicated by the directions in which the handles 1 extend the outer sides of the cases G adjacent to the track U and the inner sides of the cases G adjacent to the track B communicate with the air-pump, whereby forcing air through the proper pipe-connections forces the railsections 1) and arms F for the track G into the positions illustrated in the drawing, and air contained in the opposite sides of the cases will be forced through the piping connecting with the three-way valves, where the latter communicate, as commonly constructed, with the open air. \Vhen it is desired to reverse the relative positions of the derailin g and signaling apparatus on the respective tracks B and C from their normal or danger conditions, it is only necessary, previous to actuating the pump ll, to turn the broper handle.

\Vhile ordinarily for crossings it is desirable to have the derailin g and signaling mechanism at opposite sides of the crossing on each track, it is within the spirit of my invention to provide my improved apparatus at opposite sides of the crossing on only one track.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a railroad-crossin g, derailin -sections D in a track at opposite sides of and beyond the crossing, horizontally-swinging arms F, connected with the derailing-sections, to extend across the track in the path of a passing train when the said sections are in their derailing positions, and longitudinally and laterally of the track when the derailing-sections are in their safety positions, whereby, when the arms are in their positions of extending laterally of the track, turning of the sections D to their derailing positions may be prevented by a train passing in the path of the horizontally-swinging arms, and means, substantially as described, for simultaneously actuating the derailingsections and horizontally-swinging arms, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a railroad-crossing, derailing-sections D in each track at opposite sides of and beyond the crossing, horizontally-swinging arms F, connected with the derailing-sections, to extend across the tracks when the said sections are in their derailing positions and longitudinally and laterally of the tracks when the derailing-sections are in their safety positions, whereby, when the arms at opposite sides of the crossing on one track are in their positions of extending laterally of the said track, turning of the sections D to their derailing positions may be prevented by a train passing in the path of the horizontally-swinging arms, and means, substantially as described, for adjusting the derailing-sections and swinging arms of one track against the approach thereon of a train to the crossing and to prepare for and indicate to a train on another track the right of way over the crossing, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a railroad-crossing, pivotal derailing-sections l) in each track at oppositesides of and beyond the crossing, vertical spindles 1, supported laterally of the tracks, revoluble on their own axes, and each connected eccentrically with a derailil'lgsection, a horizontal arm F, secured on. each spindle, to revolve with it and be extended lengthwise of the track or across it in the path of a train, and means, substantially as described, for adjusting the derailing-section, and swinging arms of one track against the approach thereon of a train to the crossing, and to prepare for and indicate to a train on another track the right of Way over the crossing, substantially as set forth.

4. A derailing mechanism for railroad-crossings, comprising, in combination with a railroad-crossing, pivotal derailing-sections D in each track at opposite sides of and beyond the crossing, Vertical spindles E, revoluble on their own axes and carrying, to revolve with them, horizontal arms F, and each having a crank 0, a link 13, connecting the derailing-scctions With the crank, a reciprocating rod 01, connected with the said crank and link, and means, substantially as described, connected with the rod n, for reciprocating them to produce adjustment of the derailingsections, and swinging arms to Warn a train on one track against approaching the crossing, and to prepare for and indicate to a train on another track the right of Way over the crossing, substantially as described.

MORTIMER B. MILLS. In presence of M. J. BoWERs, J. W. DYRENFORTH. 

